As of now, there have been a total of 3,100 confirmed cases of the strain, predominantly concentrated in three central African countries.
The first case of a new strain of monkey pox (mpox) has been confirmed by health officials in the United States.
The clade I strain, initially identified in eastern Congo earlier this year, was detected in a traveler who had recently returned from eastern Africa to northern California, as reported by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) on Saturday.
An ongoing outbreak of the new mpox strain is currently affecting central and eastern Africa, with transmission occurring primarily through sexual contact and close interactions among children, pregnant women, and other vulnerable populations.
Several other countries, including Germany, Sweden, the United Kingdom, India, Thailand, Kenya, and Zimbabwe, have also reported cases of the clade I strain.
This strain, clade I, differs from the earlier clade II strain that caused a global outbreak in 2022, with the majority of clade II cases affecting gay men.
Monkey pox is a rare disease caused by a virus related to smallpox and is endemic in certain parts of Africa where individuals have typically contracted it through bites from rodents or small animals.
Less severe symptoms of the disease may include fever, chills, and body aches, while more serious symptoms can manifest as lesions on the face, hands, chest, and genitals.
‘Very Low’ Risk
State health officials have stated that the risk to public health in the U.S. from the individual with the clade I strain is currently considered “very low.”
The individual in question received treatment upon returning to the U.S. at a local medical facility and has since been isolating at home in San Mateo County, with improving symptoms and no reported cases among close contacts.
So far, there have been 3,100 confirmed cases of the strain, primarily in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, and Uganda, according to the World Health Organization, with a spike in reported cases in late September.
Health officials have indicated that the situation in the Congo appears to be stabilizing.
Outbreaks of clade I mpox in Africa were initially reported to be more severe than clade II, with death rates ranging from 3 to 11 percent. However, recent data suggests that access to proper medical care can significantly reduce death rates to around 1 percent.
Information on the CDC’s recommendations for individuals at risk of mpox can be found online.
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